


The Rise of Mayor Hancock

by PeacefulPhoenix



Series: Fallout 4: Origins [1]
Category: Fallout 4
Genre: Angst, Canon-Typical Violence, Extortion, Hurt/Comfort, Implied/Referenced Drug Use, M/M, Major Character Plot Spoilers for Hancock, Not sure if the relationship is romantic or platonic, Seriously this is his backstory, but it's definitely something
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-01-16
Updated: 2016-01-16
Packaged: 2018-05-14 05:25:24
Rating: Mature
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 3,261
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/5731021
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/PeacefulPhoenix/pseuds/PeacefulPhoenix
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Major character plot spoilers for Hancock!!! This is his backstory as I imagine it!</p><p>Nick Valentine goes to Goodneighbor to investigate the whereabouts of Mayor MacDonough's brother John who was last seen helping ghouls escape Diamond City. While there he gets caught up in the fall of Vic and the rise of Hancock as the new mayor of Goodneighbor.</p>
            </blockquote>





	The Rise of Mayor Hancock

Rain beat down against Valentine’s trenchcoat covered shoulders as he slipped through the gate into Goodneighbor. He pulled the collar of his coat up and closer to his neck with one hand and tipped his head down. Most of the gears, wires, and other mechanics that filled his synthetic body were waterproofed but it was best not to push his luck. There weren’t many people around these parts willing to do repairs on synths. 

Nick kept his eyes low as he waded through the crowds of ghouls filling the streets. This case certainly wasn’t going to be as easy as he thought. Finding one man in all of this? It would no doubt take several days. The pupils in his eyes had dilated, making them mostly black. Glowing yellow rings still remained but he had turned the brightness, despite the slight impairment it gave him. At least he could see through the dark and rain. Probably better to keep inconspicuous for as long as possible. This wasn’t the friendliest of places.

He entered the Hotel Rexford, keeping his head low and avoiding the groups of ghouls taking shelter from the rain. “I’d like a room,” he said. The water fogging up his system made his voice come out even deeper and raspier than usual. 

“We’re full up so looks like you’ll have to find somewhere on the street,” the owner said back flatly. In fact, the synth thought he detected a hint of disgust but that wasn’t a very uncommon thing for him. 

Without another word he turned, the coat spinning out behind him, and re-entered the rain. Some light returned to his eyes as he looked around. Small shacks had been erected in alley ways and dead-ends, pressed to every exposed wall of the small town. Ghouls had never looked very healthy but most here looked downright gaunt. There was no way to find the man he was looking for in all this so Nick slipped into one of the shacks tucked into a corner. He sat with his back pressed to both walls so he could see everyone coming and going. At first lots of people came and went. He should have recognized these people but most were new to him. A few human drifters came through but left to find other places to sleep just as fast. 

After several hours the air seemed to still. Rain still pattered against the metal roof but the footsteps had stopped. The world seemed to breath with the ghouls sleeping all around him. His systems slowed to match. He wasn’t sure how long he watched their sleeping faces of the slick cobble streets. All he knows is that he was snapped from his low power mode as the metal walls of the shack shook and clattered loudly. 

Two men stood in the doors, one with a baseball bat resting across his shoulders. The other held his, letting it hang towards the ground. Both had scars crossing their faces and arms and were very much human. They didn’t look to be the brightest either, by Nick’s guess.

“Everybody up!” one bellowed much too loudly considering everyone was already sitting up, clutching their blankets or jackets around their shoulders. “It’s time for all you ghouls to pay up.” Grumbles rolled through the small group. “First lesson about Goodneighbor, folks. Aint nothing free. ‘Specially not to you lot.” They walked in, holding out a bag and going up to everyone. Nick kept his eyes planted firmly on his shoes. There were a few choice words he wanted to say to these two but it was best to keep them to himself. This wasn’t the time to start a fight. 

It took him completely by surprise when they held the bag out to him. “I don’t care how sick you are, you still got to pay!” Their boot found his leg and he had to remember to react. The sensors there had given out quite a number of years ago. How sick? He certainly wasn’t the prettiest lookin’ synth these days but… Did they really think he was a ghoul? His original estimate of their intelligence had been off then. He reached into his pocket with his good hand and dropped in a few bottlecaps. 

The two left looking far too proud of themselves.

The illusion of peace he had felt minutes earlier had been stripped away so he supposed now was as good a time to start his search. His trenchcoat and fedora did little to stop the rain now, soaked beyond their limit. It was going to take several days to dry these out when he got back home. 

At first he tried going shack to shack but found it did very little. Most people were in enough darkness that even his advanced night vision couldn’t make out their faces. All he could see were lumps on the ground, unmoving. It unnerved him. 

Escaping from the shanty-town in the making Nick slipped into an alley, digging into his pockets. His metal fingers found the pack and he tapped a cigarette. The light clicked once, twice, three times but wouldn’t start. “Shit,” he muttered as he stuff both back into his pocket. 

The light above his head flickered, bathing the alley with darkness the light several times. It was definitely screwing with his optics. He didn’t need to see clearly to know someone was there, though. The heavy footfalls against the stone of the street did that. “Well well well. It seems the Diamond City’s pet robot got lost again.” Vic stepped into the light, the brim of his cap keeping most of his face in shadows. “Or was it one of the Institute’s pets? Gets pretty confusing with this lot.”

As his eyes adjusted Nick scanned the area. He could see two thugs along with Vic and it was his guess there were more close by. “Not here to cause any trouble, fellas.” He had his pipe pistol but would that be enough? He only had about 6 shots on the damn thing and he was sure he could take out one but all of them? Chances weren’t looking good. 

“I’m sorry, synth, but these are my townsfolk. I care about them a great deal, you see, and to think something might happen to them because I let one of you walk around here would break my heart.” Nick could hear the smile in his face and the shadows made it easy to see. His hand slowly slid under his trenchcoat to rest on the handle of his gun.

A new voice spoke from the darkness, cutting the tension in the air like a deathclaw’s teeth through flesh. “Come on, Vicky. Why you gotta be like that?” John MacDonough stepped into the light. “You’ve been so hospitable to these ghouls. What’s one synth? For all we know Diamond City kicked his ass to the curb too. Maybe you could even use him.” He flashed one of his winning smiles and pushed back the hair sticking to his forehead. He’d always been too damn impulsive.

There were several long moments Valentine didn’t know what would happen. John stood between him and Vic’s goons but he wasn’t about to let a human take a bullet for him. “John-” The man in question raised his hand up and Nick fell silent. He must have something planned right?

“This isn’t your concern. Leave before we’re forced to involve you.” One of Vic’s men stood forward. 

John put out both his arms - a sign of trust. “Come on, boys. Do we really have to do this?” It became very clear very quickly that yes. They did have to do this. “Get out of here, Nick,” he called as he scooped a metal pipe from the ground and brought it up to deflect a blow. Despite all his better judgement the synth disappeared into the shadows. Synths weren’t supposed to have self-preservation like this were they? Their lives weren’t more valuable than a human’s.

\----------------------

When John came too he found himself in a house. That wasn’t possible was it? Last thing he remembered was a fist coming down to meet his head in an alleyway. How had he gotten here? He tried to sit up but found himself pushed down, the points of something digging into his skin. Nick. “Are you okay?” he mumbled, closing his eyes again.

“You’ve got some fucked up priorities, kid.” John wasn’t a kid anymore and hadn’t been for a long time but he still acted like one. No reasonable adult would put themselves on the line for a beat-up bag of bolts like Nick. “You’re pretty badly hurt so don’t you try to move.” 

John brushed his hand away. “I knew they wouldn’t kill me. I buy too many chems from them,” he said with a laugh that became a cough. “And you’re one to talk, old man. What’re you even doing here?” Valentine chuckled and dipped a bit of cloth in a bowl, dabbing at the blood on the other’s forehead. It was going to be quite a while til this healed up. Would probably leave a nasty scar too.

“You’re brother sent me.” John tensed beneath his touch and Valentine pretended not to notice.

“Good for him but I’m not going back and we both know that. Not after what he’s done.” The synth nodded. He’d expected no less of course. He’d never been one to do as he was told. Maybe that why Nick’d always liked him. “Wait, what time is it?”

Valentine gazed out the window for a moment. “Around noon it seems.” John tried to sit and once again found himself pushed down. 

“Let me go, Nick.” His voice was more serious than usual. Flatter. Tougher. Attaboy. 

Valentine sat back in his chair, letting John sit up. “Daisy is handling it, don’t worry.” He nodded. “John, you’re shaking.” The man looked down at his hands and found it to be true. He took a deep breath and balled them into fists but it just got worse. “Need another stimpack or some water or something?”

He shook his head. When he tried to talk his throat sounded dry so the synth passed him some purified water anyways. “I’ve been spending all my money on feeding everyone. I try and pay their “rent” too if they can’t.” He couldn’t meet Valentine’s eyes. “Haven’t had chems in about two weeks. Withdrawal’s a bitch.” He couldn’t be surprised. He couldn’t keep the concern from showing on his face though and on certainly didn’t miss it. “Don’t worry about me, Nicky. There are plenty of better people to worry about.” 

There was silence for quite a long time. Neither knew quite what to say to the other. It wasn’t new. John had ended up in Nick’s offices a number of times, asking for help getting out of a jam or hiding from security. Not once had the man treated him any different for the synthetic parts beginning to show through the edges of his face. A couple times, he had even tried to help with repairs. 

“What’s the endgame here?” The synth finally asked. The human looked straight up at the ceiling with a frown. “They obviously aren’t kind to the ghouls here and those are good families. Some are even pre-war - wouldn’t hurt a fly. You think they can make it here?”

“If they don’t make it here they certainly won’t in the wasteland. My brother signed their death warrants.” Anyone listening could hear the anger in his voice but there was something else. Was it shame? Regret? Guilt? Nick furrowed his brow as he tried to understand. “I’ve got a plan though. It’ll make everyone safe.”

“John, what are you going to do?”

He laughed. “I don’t want to ruin the surprise, Valentine!” The smile was gone from his lips as quick as they came. “It’s gonna take a few days for me to figure out. I need you to take care of them okay? Just until I get back. I’ll get you all the caps you need to do it. Please.” Nick had yet to meet a broad that could resist his charm and most men had trouble doing the same. Even an old synth like him wasn’t above it.

“You have my word.”

\----------------------

The next days passed with relative easy. Valentine stayed holed up in Daisy’s house, leaving only to deliver food or medicine to the ghouls. For the most part he avoided any interaction with the hoodlums patrolling the streets for Vic. It was too risky to get involved in another altercation so he kept his head low and stayed quiet. 

It had been nearly a week before Nick noticed a change beginning to take place. 

More and more of the ghouls he had been caring for were disappearing. Some were found later in trash bins around and outside of town but most weren’t found. It wasn’t hard to guess who was behind it. K-L-0E’s shop had also seen a spike in traffic. One ghoul in particular had gone there several times to talk. Nick wasn’t sure he had seen him buy anything yet. He had come into town a couple days ago wearing this ridiculous red coat. He’d been keeping his eye on that one. He seemed to be doing a lot of talking but not much else. Never a good sign.

It all made sense when one day the streets were silent. Valentine had grown used to the murmur and the lack of it seemed louder than if they were all yelling. Something was happening. Daisy was still soundly asleep and he did his best to not wake her as he took to the streets. It was then the gunshots began. 

It didn’t take long to track them to the Third Rail. Ghouls and humans alike ran out of the door but none of the guards. Were they there already? It wouldn’t be surprising. They spent most of their time drunk. But why wouldn’t they run too? Not the most courageous lot. 

Silence fell and he waited in the shadows outside the door. The ghoul in red led the others from the bar and into the streets. Blood was splattered on all of them but instead of running in fear as he expected the other ghouls seemed to look up to all of them in awe. It was then Valentine realized that mobs surrounded both doors in and out of the statehouse. This is what he had been planning all this time. 

The ghoul in charge made his way through the crowd, taking only two other with him into the statehouse. It was silent for several moments. Everyone gathered in the streets seemed to be holding their breath all together. Only a few remained around the doors but most gathered under the bannister. For now it seemed they were all as much in the dark as he was.

The silence was cut as the doors from the statehouse to the balcony were thrown open and the ghoul in red stepped forward, throwing the limp body of Vic over the railing and tieing the end of the not already strung around his neck to the bannister. “Of the people! For the people!” he shouted as the mayor writhed in the air. The crowd erupted into cheers and Valentine’s eyes found the ghouls. It couldn’t be…

In no time he was at the door and inside the statehouse. The ghoul met him on the stairs. “Hey Nicky,” John said with a small, sad smile. “Miss me?” His voice was more gravely than it had been after even his worst chem binges.

He scowled back. “This was your big plan to help everyone? Turning yourself into a damn ghoul?” He didn’t even bother trying to hide the anger from his voice. John swept out his arm, signalling Nick to follow him. They went into a room and the ghoul locked the door behind them. “You’ve always done stupid shit but this takes the damn cake.”

John put up his hands. “Please let me explain.” They held each other’s gaze before the synth finally sat down. The other remained standing, biting what was left of his lip as he tried to figure out where to start. “I couldn’t let Vic do this. Dude was always a scumbag but these were my friends. My brother was sending them out to die and he was just finishing the job. I had led them here. I needed to fix it. I heard about this experimental chem. Word on the street was it turned you ghoul. I figured no sane ghoul would ever trust a MacDonough again anyways. I don’t blame them. My only chance at saving them was becoming something else. Figured being a ghoul wouldn’t be so bad, right?”

He joined Nick on the couch now. “I didn’t expect it would hurt so bad. Feels like my skin and muscles are rotting. Guess they are.” He pulled off his hat and ran a hand over his bald, rough skin. He’d always been so proud of his hair. “When I woke up after taking it I saw this whole get-up. Felt it speak to me. Maybe I was still high. Not sure. It was real intense. But I knew that’s who I had to become - Hancock. Felt a real connection you know? Just wanted to free them - us - from Vic and his tyranny bullshit. And now that’s what everyone’s calling me. John Hancock.” He chuckled then looked up from his hand, meeting the synth’s glowing yellow eyes with his own deep black ones. “You understand right?”

He didn’t want to. Everything in him told him to scold John for being such an idiot. All Nick wanted was to be a human but it was impossible and here this punk was throwing away his own humanity like it was nothing. And yet, of course he understood. “Yeah. I do.” He put his arm around John and pulled him closer. “Just wish it hadn’t been you.” It was selfish. They both knew that but neither said anything. They sat like this for a really long time. The sounds of celebrations drifted in from outside and Valentine couldn’t decide if it made him happy or lost.

“I’m gonna quit chems,” Hancock muttered. “That was the last one.” Most would have had a problem picking up his voice but thankfully Nick’s auditory sensors were very much intact.

He doubted the truth to the statement but appreciated the sentiment. And hey, maybe he would be surprised. Who knew what this kid was capable of anymore. “What do you want me to tell everyone in Diamond City?” The Mayor would get the full story. He didn’t have to say that. But he wasn’t the only one back in the city worried about John. 

“Tell them I died here, helping the ghouls. Only my brother needs to know what I’ve become. I’m sure that’ll give him a real turn.” The idea gave him a big laugh that didn’t fade as quickly this time. “I think I’ve got a good thing going here. There’s already talk of making me the next mayor.”

Nick stood up, brushing off the back of his trenchcoat. “I’ll leave you to celebrate. You’ve done some real good here. Don’t forget that, alright kid?”

“You got it, old man.”

\----------------------

When Valentine returned to Diamond City the next day and told the Mayor what had become of his brother it was just as good as either of them expected.

**Author's Note:**

> If anyone would be interesting talking 'bout writing or fallout or Hancock and Valentine or w/e my tumblr is https://www.tumblr.com/blog/60-minuteman and I'd love to hear from you!


End file.
